A Thousand Years of Jewish History
"[...]ecclesiastical council. It numbered 70 like the Council of Elders appointed by Moses (Exodus xxiv, 1). Thus it happened when all political power was taken, from the Jews, the presentation of religion through the forms of law very naturally survived. There is yet another reason for Judaism being interpreted as Law, which touches the genius of Judaism. Judaism has always been less a faith to be confessed than a life to be lived. The emphasis was laid on deed rather than on dogma, on law rather than creed. We shall later see (p. 133) that it was on this very distinction that Christianity broke away from the parent religion to become a separate Faith. The reduction of religion to law had its abuses as well as its excellences. It led to the multiplication of ceremonials. The laws of ritual cleanliness, especially[...]".